Taken
by Mamoru4ever
Summary: Everyone I have known and loved more than life itself is gone. Taken from me before my very eyes and I couldn't stop it.


I know, I should probably just get to writing my stories soon or working on my AMVs but I'm just feeling incredibly depressed and hopeless and whatever other synonym I can think of. I just really… whatever. This is Mana's POV, I just needed a character. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! in any way, shape or form…

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_Taken_

Why is life cruel to me?

Do the Gods hate me that much?

What have I done to earn their cruelty?

Everything I ever loved has been lost forever.

First were my parents. My beloved mother and father… killed by thieves in the middle of the night. I should be dead along with them, but they made me escape before that band of murderous thieves got to me. I don't know who suffered more, me or them. The thieves tortured them, skinned them alive, and then burned them. Or me… having to have watched it and living with the memories of their screams, haunting me every night.

I thought that the worst thing that would have ever happened to. Nothing worse could happen to me.

Then I met Mahado.

He took me in as his sister, called me his family and even made me his apprentice. I'll admit it, he annoyed me at first. Always telling what to do and how to act and what to say. There were times I just wanted to throw my wand at his head, anything to get him to leave me alone. But the more time we spent together, I realized something…

He **is** my family.

Mahado was there for me every night when I woke up screaming in terror, he held me when I cried and stayed with me until I stopped. No matter how long it took, he always stayed with me. I trusted him with my secrets and he told me his. For the first time in a long time, I was happy. Truly and undeniably happy.

Because of Mahado, I met the Prince. That's right. Prince Atemu, son of Akunamkanon… Pharaoh of all Egypt. He was such a little brat at first. Saying every single little thing in sight belonged to him, Atemu even claimed me as **his** playmate and no one else was allowed to play with me but him. I think I fell in love with him that day, especially after I pushed him in the mud.

Karim and Shada were Mahado's best friends and they were always so serious. Although, they always made sure they were present whenever I had my lessons with Mahado. The first time they did this, I didn't understand until I messed up on a spell and Mahado became covered in tar. He was so mad… but Shada and Karim couldn't stop laughing. Mostly at the look on Mahado's embarrassing face, he wasn't too happy with me that day. Everyone else was, not him though.

Isis… the love of Mahado's life. Whenever he was near her, his face appeared as though he was stuck in the sun for too long. She was the only woman I was ever close to. The only one who could comfort me whenever I had feminine problems, like when Atemu avoided me or when I had my first cycle. She was there for me and I thought of her as my big sister.

Seto… well, he never liked me all that much and I wasn't too fond of him.

This was my family, my new family. And I loved them, every single last one of them.

And then…

They were taken from me by Bakura.

Karim gave the last inch of his life to Shada, so his remaining ba would be sufficient to protect Pharaoh Atemu. It was a quick death and he didn't suffer, it gives me comfort that he didn't.

Shada pushed Atemu out of the way and was struck down by lightening. A gruesome and horrible death. One that I watched in horror.

Isis told me to run… that she would fight off Zorc while I gave the items to everyone. My parents told me to run as well, I wish she hadn't said it. It made the wound in my heart worse.

Mahado… my beloved Mahado. He left to fight Bakura, left me and everyone he loved **knowing **he was going to die. My family, the person that saved me. The one I could confide in more than anything jumped in front of an ax… and didn't even defeat Bakura! He left me, training incomplete and broken from the loss of his smile and comfort. When I cried over his death, the only one to comfort me this time was Atemu… and he was lost to me as well.

Atemu gave his life to defeat Zorc, it was the last measure of devotion to his country. He did it so we could all live happily, so everyone could live their lives and the deaths of the ones I loved would not be in vain. While his sacrifice is important to all, and I mean important, to every living soul in Egypt… I wish he would have taken me with him.

I wish he could have sacrificed me along with him. This pain in my heart, this wretched stabbing pain is more than I can bear. I cannot be expected to live with these memories, knowing that they **all** died! Every single last one of them!

Karim!

Isis!

Shada!

Mahado!

Atemu!

Se…

Seto. He's not dead. Along with me, he lived. How can I be so stupid?! He has taken the Pharaoh's place, and I can see the sadness in his eyes. He lost his friends, and the one he loved as well. Like me, he has to live with these memories and bear the responsibility of the one who passed it to us.

I am the new Master Magician, like Mahado was. And Seto is now Pharaoh… just like Atemu.

I wasn't too close with Seto, I never was and I never wanted to be. Now though… I understand him more.

Him and I have something in common, something that can be taken as easily as our friends' lives.

Seto has me…

… and I have Seto.

This time, the Gods will have to pry the last piece of my life away from my cold dead fingers. He's all I have left and I will never give that up.

**Never**.

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This is just a story about loss and holding on to what you have. Really, we should all just hold on to what we have. Review if you want.


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